Hobbies That Can Pay Off -
Getting Started with Home Carpentry

Tips for starting hobby in carpentry or
woodworking

Hobbies allow us to relax and unwind, enjoying doing something that we love. If
you are lucky enough to be able to say that your day job is your hobby, good for you, but when it comes to the rest
of us mortal folk, hobbies are likely to be something we enjoy in our free time. Woodworking, or carpentry, is a
hobby that connects the interesting with the useful, so here are some tips to get you going.

Workspace

One of the top reasons people ebb away from getting into woodworking is the issue of space. Many think that they need a huge garage
or workspace to get things going here, but this is somewhat of a common misconception – you can come up with your
hobby carpentry shop in the majority of spaces, even in a flat, with proper planning of course. You could get
things going by cashing out for a fully-equipped workshop, but taking things slowly, by gradually getting the tools
you need, is often a cheaper, less risky and easier way to go.

Lessons

If you are really serious about a hobby in carpentry, getting a couple of lessons might do you a world of good. Although there are many tutorials
available online, watching a video on YouTube is nowhere near as useful as taking up actual lessons. A couple of
classes will quickly get you introduced with understanding woodworking plans, safety measures and handling the
tools. Note that while the lessons aren’t really obligatory or completely necessary for your dream hobby, they
are more than useful, both in terms of your physical safety and your future woodworking projects.

Tools

All this having been said, you will need more than a hammer and a hacksaw to get
your woodworking hobby started. You are probably looking at getting a basic set of tools for carpentry. Regardless
of the type of a woodworking project, you’ll need to make measurements first and make cuts on the wood later, which
means getting some basic measuring and marking tools (start with a tape measure, a combination square and a
carpenter’s pencil).

Quite logically, you’ll need to move on to acquiring wood cutting tools, such as a
handheld circular saw – an essential tool if you want to make straight precision cuts. When it comes to making
rounded cuts, a jigsaw will do the trick. Wood shaping tools are also unavoidable, such as a block plane and a
router. Finally, you’ll need a wood cutting surface and luckily, you won’t have to go to a specialized store for
this – there are manyquality dining tablesavailable out there that will definitely do the trick for the buck.

Safety Tips

We are well aware that the majority of people don’t have time for taking carpentry
lessons so, although we won’t be getting into woodworking tips and tricks, we have decided to share a number of
safety tips.

Instruction manuals that come with your equipment
are to be read thoroughly and dedicatedly in order to avoid accidents.

Eyes are the most vulnerable parts on the outside
of our bodies, so wearingproper protectionis crucial.

Dust masks are obligatory, for obvious
reasons!

Slip resistant footwear will prevent you from
tripping over and slipping on things, which can otherwise cause serious injuries.

Finally, if your hair is long, tie it back in
order to avoid getting it caught in your tools – the consequences here can be gruesome.

Getting your home-based carpentry hobby started is easier than you might’ve
thought, but you will have to get some basic tools to get you going. Keep in mind, however, that woodworking is a
potentially dangerous hobby, so getting familiarized with safety tips is crucial here!

All above images courtesy of Creative
Commons

Author bio:

Diana Smith is a
full time mom of two beautiful girls and a passionate traveler. In her free time she enjoys freelance writing
on many subjects, including crafts and hobby ideas.